Notes from “The Library as Catalyst for Civic Engagement”

Notes from Bill Ptacek’s article “The Library as Catalyst for Civic Engagement”, Sept 1st, 2013 issue of Library Journal

People used to come to the public library to get service.

“As communication and digital technologies become even more pervasive, libraries will be required to provide content that can be used on whatever is the ‘device du jour.’ ”

“As libraries become less about physical access to information, they are more likely to be valued for their importance to the community–as gathering places for civic, educational, and social engagements.”

Librarians will spend “more time acting as consultant to the general public. Librarian as information expert will become librarian as psychologist or sociologist.”

“In the future, libraries will be less about services and more about how to be of service. Research on patron interests and behavior patterns will be crucial to this effort, and libraries will have to be adept at marketing and customer-insight techniques.”